Articles
Sharing and Serving at Centreville
The NT paints a picture of high level involvement and serious commitment among members of local churches. In Jerusalem alone consider:
“They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers … Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need” – 2:42, 44-45.
“Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common … nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need” – 4:32, 34-35.
Various factors created a close bond between early disciples:
Persecution. For Jews especially, there was a high degree of sacrifice required by new converts. Many became outcasts from their families and broader Jewish society. But Gentiles also were pariahs and suffered ridicule from their former associates (1 Pet 4:4). First church leaders and later individual members were harassed, imprisoned and executed. In the first century there was serious contemplation before committing one’s life to Christ, for such a decision could cost one his life.
Material needs. Loss of jobs and family safety nets, the appeal of the gospel to lower classes (1 Cor 1:26) and even environmental factors such as famine (Ac 11:27-30) led to poverty among believers. Brethren opened their hearts and their resources to needy fellow Christians, both at large and among the local family.
Common convictions. What an exciting time this must have been as the truth about Jesus first began to circulate! When Jews realized that their Messiah had truly come; when Gentiles saw the substance of the living God against the backdrop of lifeless idols; when all jointly rediscovered holiness and meaning in life how they must have bonded with others who shared these values. Believers naturally coalesced into local assemblies of saints and shared ties of love and interdependence.
Fast forward to today. Most of us have been raised in a prosperous era, one of religious freedom and moral soundness. The work ethic in a land of opportunity formed an independent, “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality. Long distance travel is now widely available. We are free and wealthy enough to come and go at will, and we do. Many of these factors can undermine the intimacy and closeness of a local church if allowed to.
So what may help reduce insulation from each other?
Communication. Our high tech world offers us countless ways to stay in touch with each other. But the rebound effect may be that we neglect communication. How? Maybe we are too available, bombarded constantly by messages, pokes and junk mail. Perhaps we assume that others know what is happening in our lives by our constant posts and pictures. Others recoil from transparency. Staying in touch with each other is particularly crucial among saints at Centreville because of geographic distance and hectic lifestyles. It is easy to lose sight of each other, to proceed on assumptions – only to find ourselves out of touch with each other’s needs.
While you may not see the importance of informing others and being accountable if sick, traveling or otherwise indisposed, it is helpful especially to the elders to know where the sheep are, their particular needs, etc. Shepherd qualifications are listed in Timothy and Titus, and mindreading is not among them. Please exercise the wisdom to communicate special needs to us and others in the congregation so that we can be there for you.
Service. True, caring, sacrificial service is proactive; it isn’t content to sit and wait or just offer generic “call me if I can help” sentiment. Even in a congregation as small as Centreville there is much support and assistance needed. Unsolicited service is deeply moving – when you think of something that would be helpful and encouraging and you just do it unasked. This takes thought and familiarity with each other: What flowers does a sister like? Favorite food/restaurant? Chores to be done?
Doing things together. Lately, we have had the all-to-occasional moving away potluck and truck/pod loading. But there are also sports activities; joint campouts; kids’ play dates; shared meals, etc. to engage in. There are the regular worship services and Bible studies; teen devotions; 3rd Sunday singings; gospel meetings (here and elsewhere). All of these build bridges of familiarity and concern, open lines of communication, develop camaraderie – a general closeness that opens the door to support, encouragement and even correction when needed.
These things should not be burdensome but strengthening. They help define us and craft a sense of belonging. Young men risk danger and premature death in order to join gangs merely for acceptance and affirmation. We have something much nobler than gang membership. We belong to the family of God. There is no higher group participation than that. Are you an active in and connected to the Centreville congregation?
